Yeah, so it's just no fun anymore. Julie and Eric are always dieting and Julie announced she is now a vegetarian though she does eat seafood and the occasional chicken breast so let's just say she's given up beef and pork and leave it at that.

I could go for a filet mignon for dinner but there are two things standing in my way (1) My grill is completely covered in snow and so is my backyard and to eat steak that isn't barbecued but broiled in a conventional oven or worse, pan fried, is a travesty; and (2) I'd rather starve than eat out on a special occasion night at a restaurant. Actually...

Also, both Matt and Julie agreed their past weekend in Montreal was their Valentine celebration (three days at the Ritz Carlton and eating at the best French restaurants...yeah, I'd say so), so Matt will be teaching bass as usual tonight at Downingtown Rock School and Julie will be waitressing at Rembrandts, where she will be busting her ass for the aforesaid holiday diners. And Eric has a very special surprise date planned for Carolyn, so...

Sob...

There I go remembering the old days again, when we used to get both kids huge fancy hearts filled with chocolate from Young's, a candy store in existence since the turn of the century on Girard Avenue in Philadelphia where they still make their own candy and hand fill the boxes one by one. When Oprah Winfrey was in town filming Beloved, before she was skinny, mentally well-adjusted Oprah, she used to send her assistant over to Young's to stock up on goodies.

Anyway, Julie and Eric used to get so excited on Valentines Day I'm getting depressed remembering...but watching them with their current significant others and how loving they are...every once in a while I realize I'm not a complete fuck-up and did something right with those two.

Oh well. I've decided I'm going to be happy today.

Even my horoscope, which is from the most dead on site I've ever discovered (well, okay, I didn't discover it, Ellen Meister did), said today I'm having the best day ever so who am I to disagree.

I will let you know.

Hey wait: Something cool did just happen! As I've been broadcasting, Eric is going on tour with Project Object as their new drummer this spring, and here's the first advertised show! They'll be at Martyrs in Chicago on April 22.

How exciting, I've never been to Chicago, maybe I'll fly out there for this one:

The members of PROJECT/OBJECT feel that Frank Zappa is one of the 20th Century's greatest and most important composers, and they are on a mission to bring his music to the masses by faithfully recreating the live Zappa experience.

"As former Zappa collaborators Ike Willis (guitar/vocals) and Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax/flute/vocals) took to the stage, the performance became as much a revival as a tribute." - Creative Loafing

Zappa repeatedly said his music was to be experienced live, and the band promises to deliver. Every night will be an intriguing mix of classic Zappa. You can count on hearing a lot of material from Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy Brocks era with Zappa, a lot of other Mothers and Zappa material, as well as new Zappa tunes that Project/Object has never played before. No two set lists will be identical and fans will once again experience the classic and obscure in the same night. "It's incredible to me that over 10 years have passed since Zappa's death," says Cholmondeley. "What's even more incredible is that we continue to turn on new generations to his unmatched genius. My goal is to keep on honoring Frank. I still remember the family's answering machine shortly after his death. Just play his music if you're musicians, and otherwise, play his music anyway. That will be enough for him."

Ike Willis (1978-88) is one of Zappa''s most durable and beloved sidemen, whose soulful vocal hysterics are best remembered as the voice of Joe on the Joe's Garage rock opera trilogy. He toured the world six times with the maestro and was the voice of his music for 14 years on countess recordings, many still unreleased...

So that's pretty fantastic. Okay, bring on the rest of the good news...

Well, it wasn't the best day ever, Myfanwy, but at least I didn't go to IKEA. (You recovered yet? When I die and go to hell, part of my punishment I am sure will be to endlessly walk around in circles in that store while listening to Bono or Sting on their PA system).

I ate left-over chili which was awesome...not as good as filet mignon but I do love chili...and I broke down and made cornbread which was outrageously fattening and today I am back on the diet from hell.

Dennis? Only you could make that remark. I love you, have I told you that recently?

Okay...if you see me back here, holler at me. I'm officially offline NOW and upstairs writing in longhand. (P.S. The fact that Zoetrope is down at the moment makes the decision a no-brainer, anyway.)

About Me

Writer, raging liberal, and mother of Eric Slick, drummer for Dr. Dog and Adrian Belew Power Trio, and Julie Slick, bassist for Adrian Belew Power Trio; both Julie and Eric also play in Paper Cat with Robbie Seahag Mangano on guitar as well as too many other projects/bands to mention.
"I work on the principle that it's not possible to take anyone's views on music seriously if they don't like the Beatles. Everything else is a question of personal taste and therefore debatable. But if you don't recognise the Beatles as the twentieth century's most inventive, most influential and most talented composers, you're pretty much admitting that you've rather missed the point of the last hundred years of musical endeavour. Should you fall into that category, I do not condemn neither do I mock. I merely despair and, having despaired, I move on."
...Mark Bastable
www.myspace.com/markbastable